There is a deep love in the heart of the father in today’s gospel (Luke 15,11-32) – a love so deep and unconditional that nothing his wayward son did -- no matter how terrible, how shameful or inexcusable – could change. It was a love so deep that it gave birth to the hope that one day, his son would return. It was a hope so real that the father even looked as far into the distance as he could see in case, by chance, his son was coming home. And one day it happened. The father saw his son coming. Even though the son was still a long way off, the father ran to meet him. He embraced him and kissed him.

This is how God is, Jesus tells us in today’s Gospel, this is how God loves each one of us, especially when we are far away from him.

Have we, like the wayward son, squandered our inheritance? Especially our spiritual inheritance? Have we come to our senses (v. 17)? Have we recognized, even if thinking only of ourselves, what we could have “at home” with our heavenly father?

Today is the day to return to our heavenly Father, to come home. He is waiting and watching for us.